Pokémon STAY
by SalFrasier96
Summary: What happens when you drop your Pokémon off at the gym? Venusaur begins to question his existence as he waits to be released from a seldom-traveled Pokémon GO gym.


Pokémon STAY

"Get ready! Get ready! This is it! Everyone on deck!" Venusaur bellowed, his deep voice resonated like a gong in the dark, cavernous gym. He stood at attention, transfixed on the spinning circular light, an example for the others to follow. He was panting and shaking his large, flat head menacingly. No one else had come to join him. He swung his head back and forth again, partly for show and partly to see where the others were, but he couldn't. They were huddled somewhere in the dark, asleep. He opened his mouth to bellow once more, but as he did the spinning light at the entrance to the gym went dark. Not this time either, he thought.

Deflated, he stomped back toward the stands. Everyone else was just too tired to do much except sleep. The gym was cold and lifeless. Where it should have been bathed in light and electricity, lush green grass with crisp white lines, it was all shadows instead. Venusaur tried to remember when it was lit up, but it had been too long. He tried to relive his best victories there, the way his vine whip stunned Pokémon twice his size into submission, the way his solar beam sent them fainting away. He had single-handedly banished more than a dozen trainers from his home gym, some even level 30 and above. But nobody had been coming by this gym lately and his memories were starting to fade.

When his feet felt the change between the soft turf and the cold metal of the stands, he heard a weak "choo" welcoming him back. It was Ash Hat Pikachu. He was just a little fella to begin with, but after being left at the gym for so long with no candies to eat he had wasted away to nearly nothing. Every day Venusaur hoped that little 'Chu's motivation would run out completely and he would get to go home to his trainer, but it hadn't happened yet. Rather, 'Chu hadn't been sent home yet, but when Venusaur peeked at his little heart it looked completely empty. What if just running out of motivation wasn't enough to send him home anymore? What if he had to be defeated to go home? That would be fine if anyone showed up to fight, 'Chu wouldn't stand a chance and then he'd be free to rejoin his other friends on his home device. But what if no one ever came?

Venusaur shuddered, involuntarily shaking his again, not wanting to think about his little friend suffering. He flopped down in the stands as close to 'Chu as he could. He wanted to comfort him, but they weren't allowed to touch when not engaged in a battle. 'Chu leaned closer to Venusaur, followed by Slowbro who shuffled up to the pair as well. They had sort of become friends, the three of them, since being stuck together in this gym since who knows when. None of them could remember being dropped off, only being here, getting slowly drained of motivation day after day. Venusaur was the only one left with anything in his little heart and even then, he had no idea how or why. Perhaps it was because he still wanted to fight. Every time the Pokéstop spun, he ran out to greet a battle that never came.

Slowbro interjected, "Don't act like you've never seen action. We have fought valiantly here before, remember?"

Venusaur could hear Slowbro's words in his head, but no sound escaped his body. Slowbro rarely opened his mouth and when he did it was only to speak to the trainers, saying either "Slooow" or "Bro." or sometimes "Slowbro?". When he wanted to communicate with his fellow Pokémon, he transmitted messages to them directly using his psychic abilities. Venusaur didn't mind being spoken to inside his own head, but he never responded to Slowbro telepathically. Anything he could say to Slowbro, he could say in front of 'Chu.

"But when? When was it? How long ago? How long must we wait?" Venusaur pleaded.

"You know I don't have those answers," Slowbro responded silently, "we're all in the same boat."

"So, what does it matter?" Venusaur moped, "What does it matter that we've seen battles at this gym? We can't relive them. The only thing I care about is going home."

"Go home?" the words came from 'Chu and sounded more like "choo choo?" than "go home?" but Venusaur knew what he meant. 'Chu fell silent for a few beats, probably listening to whatever Slowbro was telling him in his mind. Venusaur hoped Slowbro was telling him something encouraging or at the very least soothing. Venusaur couldn't take any more nights of 'Chu sobbing in the dark. The nights were the worst. Nobody ever came at night. Not here anyway. Perhaps if they had been at a gym in the city, they would get some action in the evening when the young adults were out playing, but not here.

Venusaur shook his head, this would have never happened if they had been in the city. They would have spent a few hours tops at a gym, enjoyed a win or two, one major loss and then gone home with a fat packet of coins to show for it. It was a pattern Venusaur had repeated many times in his career. His trainer liked to use him against water types, their personal favorite was beating up on Vaporeons. Stupid Vaporeons, acting all high and mighty like the kings of the water world. It often took everything he had, but Venusaur always rallied his strength and quickness for a fight against an overly cocky Vape.

Although Venusaur wasn't as showy as some of the others, his trainer, GoGoBallz96, had groomed him to be in their top CP screen. They battled a lot together, GoGo and Venusaur, especially on the route between GoGo's school and home. Venusaur loved the gyms there, they were familiar. He remembered them far more fondly than he ever hoped to remember this place. This dark, musty place. He didn't know exactly where they were, but the gym badge read Farmingham UMC and had a picture of little white building with a little white point on top.

They must be stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Why would GoGo leave him here? And why couldn't GoGo just call him back? These were the questions that rattled around inside of Venusaur's head. He wondered if Slowbro could tell what he was thinking. Slowbro had to be thinking the same thing, he had been stuck here for just as long and was just as depleted as the rest of them. But who cared about the rest of them. 'Chu and Slowbro were alright, at least they were company, but Venusaur could have done without Dragonite and Crapizard.

He shook his head and chuckled at the name Crapizard. That Pokémon's trainer must have really hated her. Venusaur had known many Charizards in his day, but had never met a Pokémon with such an unfortunate nickname as Crapizard. And her name only served to make her meaner. She was weak, but bitter. She didn't have a fraction of the battle victories that Venusaur had, but he had seen her fight and she was sneaky. That was all he really knew about her, she hadn't spoken a word, not even "char" since she had been dropped off.

She was out of motivation as well, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. If anyone, any single trainer in the whole world had managed to stop by their gym and committed to battle, they would have won in short order. So why hadn't anyone come? And how did a beast like Dragonite get left here? Venusaur had not spoken to Dragonite either, he didn't have the courage to approach him, even outside of a battle. Crapizard realized this and had taken to hiding behind Dragonite so the others would leave her alone. If anyone were going to stand up and say something to Dragonite, it would be Venusaur but why? What good would it do anyway? Nothing they could say could get them out of there.

But if this terrible isolation was slowly zapping Venusaur of his sanity, what must it be doing to Dragonite? Venusaur glanced over in the dark to where Dragonite was sitting motionlessly. He couldn't tell if his eyes were glaring back at him or not. Perhaps Dragonite was asleep, so Venusaur allowed his gaze to linger on him as his mind wandered. Although Venusaur was miserable, at least he had grass on which to roam in the battlefield. That is when he had the strength to get his big behind up and moving. But Dragonite must be downright depressed. He had no energy to fly and nowhere to fly to. His wings were folded behind his back stiffly, Dragonite didn't even stretch them anymore.

"He doesn't like you looking at him," Slowbro chimed in suddenly, making Venusaur startle and shake his head reflexively.

"Doesn't matter anyway," Venusaur mumbled aloud, to which he heard a despondent "choo" from the little guy. Wouldn't somebody be missing this poor sweet Pikachu? Wouldn't his trainer want him back, even if just to enjoy his cute little costume and antics? Venusaur missed his Bulbasaur and Ivysaurs at home. GoGo was a bit of a softy for the Seed Pokémon family and had always allowed Venusaur to enjoy living near the most recently hatched Bulbasaur baby. The twin Ivysaurs, who were serendipitously both 952 CP, lived near Venusaur as well. He loved the Ivysaurs, but they were bitter rivals instead of cooperative siblings. Each wanted to evolve as soon as possible, leaving the other behind and potentially unseating the original Venusaur.

Just then a terrible thought crossed Venusaur's mind, what if by the time he got back he was no longer needed? He shook his head as violently as he could with his dwindling energy to try to clear the emotion he was feeling. GoGo wouldn't do that, would they? Unless… this trip to the gym was actually his retirement. Venusaur let his massive head droop for the first time. He assumed Slowbro was listening in, so he projected his message in the clearest terms possible "LEAVE. ME. ALONE." After a moment, Venusaur heard a soft "bro" emanate from the spot behind 'Chu. He had never felt like this before, this feeling of betrayal, of sadness. It was different than the boredom and frustration he had come to know day in and day out at the Farmingham UMC.

This was now his pasture, he was literally being put out to pasture. What a fine how do you do. Now he wasn't even sure he wanted to go back. Venusaur wished GoGo were here right now, even just the hologram that appeared when a trainer entered the gym, so that he could slice that hologram's face to ribbons. How could they? Venusaur had done so well for GoGo, hadn't he? But if one or both of the Ivys were ready to evolve, it would have been an easy choice for any trainer. Perhaps GoGo had tried to save Venusaur from being transferred to the Professor by leaving him here instead. But that couldn't be, Venusaur would still occupy a place in GoGo's lineup until he was transferred. He thought of his lifeless hologram sitting there on GoGo's device, smiling and shaking its head, full of hope and vigor.

Did GoGo ever think of him stuck here when they scrolled through their list of Pokémon? Maybe Venusaur wasn't even at the top of the CP page anymore. If one of the Ivys had ousted him as the strongest member of the Seed family, there would be no use for old Venusaur anymore. He would never taste another berry, never taste another candy. A salty tear ran down his bumpy pale cheek. His flesh was barely even blue anymore, it was so faded from lack of attention.

But how long HAD he been at the gym? Venusaur had no way of knowing, he couldn't access that information screen. It was only visible on GoGo's device, which could be millions of miles away by now. And what was the sense in finding out anyway? He might as well rot away here. Maybe I'll still be at the gym when GoGo retires or gets transferred to the professor or whatever happens to trainers when they stop playing, Venusaur thought. His head sunk lower and his eyes closed.

It was a blinding light that awakened Venusaur. He shook his head side to side and blinked, wondering what had disturbed his slumber. The sound was familiar; it wasn't just someone hitting the gym's Pokéstop on the way past, it was the sound of an impending battle. Yes! A trainer was selecting their Pokémon for the fight. Venusaur shuddered back to life and straightened up before letting out a peal of thunderous laughter. Why even bother selecting strong Pokémon to attack them? This battle would be over in seconds and then they would all be released! Venusaur looked around to find his potluck companions standing at attention as well. They didn't dare look his way for fear of missing a second of the action, but Slowbro whispered "finally" quietly into Venusaur's head.

But what would happen when he got home? Venusaur shook the thought from his mind as he watched Dragonite take a few punches from a Hitmonlee and then fall away. So long big guy. Slowbro was next, whispering goodbyes telepathically as he graciously fainted away and disappeared into the floor of the gym. Crapizard roared menacingly and spit embers in Hitmonlee's direction, but to no avail, she was gone soon, too. Venusaur didn't think she wanted to go home, but he knew she didn't have a choice. She couldn't stay, and she couldn't fight. Smell ya later, he thought to himself.

Venusaur trembled, hoping that 'Chu would be next, but he wasn't. It was Venusaur's turn to face Hitmonlee now. Hitmonlee was not very strong, but had barely been grazed by each of Venusaur's predecessors. Venusaur was torn between going out swinging and just letting it happen, but as it turned out he didn't even a chance to get off one attack before being blindsided by Hitmonlee's charge. As he felt himself sinking, he turned toward the bright light of the gym and winked in 'Chu's direction. He wondered if he would ever see the little guy again.

And then, just like that he was home. It felt different. The surroundings were familiar, but somehow strange. Venusaur still had no energy as GoGo had not revived him yet, but he could at least look around the box to see how his teammates were. The baby Bulbasaur he had left was gone and a newer, weaker one had taken its place. That must mean there had been some evolutions, which probably meant a new Venusaur. He ventured a glance to his left. A new Venusaur was there, probably one of the Ivy twins evolved. He allowed his gaze to linger on his new sister for a moment. Her skin was so vibrant, her bloom so formitable. He wondered if she had even seen a battle yet, she still had an air of courage that came from inexperience. As Venusaur looked further down the line, it appeared that the other Ivy twin had not survived. In fact, it appeared that his baby Bulbasaur had become the new Ivysaur, handsome and strong.

But where did Venusaur fit into this new lineup? He was the strongest of his family still, but perhaps not for long. GoGo would revive him soon enough, at least Venusaur hoped they would, and then he could live to see another battle. Maybe. If not, at least he had made it home before being transferred to the professor. None of them had ever been promised anything, that was what Slowbro had told him once. And so Venusaur settled in, shook his head with gratitude, and waited for GoGo to notice his return. He could not yet dream of battlefield glory, but at least he was past his stay in battlefield hell.


End file.
